Zum '95: The Z Formal Specification Notation: 9th International Conference of Z Users Limerick, Ireland, September 7-9, 1995: Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

Annotation This book presents the proceedings of the 9th International Conference of Z Users, ZUM '95, held in Limerick, Ireland in September 1995. The book contains 34 carefully selected papers on Z, using Z, applications of Z, proof, testing, industrial usage, object orientation, animation of specification, method integration, and teaching formal methods. Of particular interest is the inclusion of an annotated Z bibliography listing 544 entries. While focussing on Z, by far the most commonly used "formal method" both in industry and application, the volume is of high relevance for the whole formal methods community Language-free mathematical methods for software design extended abstract....Pages 2-4 A formal approach to software design: The Clepsydra methodology....Pages 5-24 Refining database systems....Pages 25-44 Structuring a Z specification to provide a formal framework for autonomous agent systems....Pages 46-62 On the use of formal specifications in the design and simulation of artificial neural networks....Pages 63-82 Structuring specification in Z to build a unifying framework for hypertext systems....Pages 83-102 Mechanizing formal methods: Opportunities and challenges....Pages 104-113 An algebraic proof in VDM ♣ ....Pages 114-133 Testing as abstraction....Pages 136-151 Improving software tests using Z Specifications....Pages 152-166 Compilation of Z specifications into C for automatic test result evaluation....Pages 167-180 Equal rights for schemas in Z....Pages 182-202 Structuring Z specifications: Some choices....Pages 203-223 Experiments with the Z interchange format and SGML....Pages 224-233 The future of industrial formal methods....Pages 236-242 Specifications and their use in defining subtypes....Pages 244-263 How firing conditions help inheritance....Pages 264-275 Extending W for Object-Z....Pages 276-295 A formal semantics for a language with type extension....Pages 298-314 From Z to code: A graphical user interface for a radiation therapy machine....Pages 315-333 The French population census for 1990....Pages 334-352 Implementing Z in Isabelle....Pages 354-373 The Z-into-Haskell tool-kit: An illustrative case study....Pages 374-388 Types and sets in Gödel and Z....Pages 389-407 Exploring specifications with Mathematica....Pages 408-420 Using Z to rigorously review a specification of a Network Management System....Pages 422-433 A two-dimensional view of integrated formal and informal specification techniques....Pages 434-448 Viewpoints and objects....Pages 449-468 Teaching programming as engineering....Pages 470-481 A course on formal methods in software engineering: Matching requirements with design....Pages 482-496 Hints for writing specifications....Pages 497-497 Mental models of Z: I — Sets and logic....Pages 498-507 Equational logic: A great pedagogical tool for teaching a skill in logic....Pages 508-509 Z Browser — Tool for visualisation of Z specifications....Pages 510-523 Select Z bibliography....Pages 526-560 Comp.specification.z and Z forum frequently asked questions....Pages 561-569 One of the many mistakes made in the early days of Computer Science was using the term "language" to describe things like FORTRAN, C, Modula, ADA, or ML In normal usage, "language" denotes a set of signals, symbols and conventions for formulating, communicating, and recording facts (or ideas) between people. This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 10th International Conference of Z Users, ZUM'97, held in Reading, UK, in April 1997.The volume presents 18 revised full papers together with three invited presentations by internationally leading experts. The papers in this text cover applications of Z, proof, testing, industrial usage, object orientation, animation of specification, method integration, and teaching formal methods. The book includes an annotated Z bibliography listing 544 entries. Jonathan P. Bowen, Michael G. Hinchey, Eds. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.